CHERRY VALLEY —Cherry Valley-Springfield’s Pony League Patriots
raced across the infield and skidded to a stop around the oft-groomed
mound.
They posed with pride next to the newly-received trophy awarded for
a second-straight ‘C’ Division championship, and the farthest thing
from most of their minds was the 10-6 season-ending loss they just
endured at the hands of visiting Sherburne.
And why not?
The club that began the season at 2-2 while probably averaging just
as many errors per game as runs scored during that first turn had
managed to rattle off six consecutive wins going into last Thursday’s
first-round playoff contest, and regardless of what the outcome was
destined to be, that more-important feat could never be taken away.
Not even if it was threatened so early and often by a
baseball-minded village of Sherburne, whose future varsity all-stars
resembled that of a well-oiled machine at the ripe age of an early teen.
From its eerie pre-game warm-up drills that included playing
make-believe contests with assorted-sized wiffle and tennis balls, to
the featured steam-throwing south paw on the hill and undersized
chatter box in the hole, Sherburne’s collection of pony talent was
well-coached and well-prepared.
The visitors scored two runs in the top of the second, added three
more in the top of the third to chase Cherry Valley starter David
Adams, then methodically delivered the knock-out blow in the sixth with
four more tallies.
In the home half of that sixth inning, the Patriots summoned a
little fight by getting four runs back themselves to close the gap to
the final 10-6 count, but Sherburne’s starting pitcher would strike out
numbers nine and 10 in the bottom of the seventh and pick-off Cherry
Valley-Springfield’s only runner of the final frame.
Shooter Caleb Brown’s final complete-game stat line: 10 strikeouts
against just one walk. Adam Halay, meanwhile (who entered the game for
Adams with two Sherburne outs in the third), struck out nine batters
over the contest’s final 4 and 1-3 innings, including an impressive
three in a row in the top of the seventh.
But like mentioned before, the final score and stats of the playoff
encounter really didn’t mean a heck of a lot to the group of youngsters
still scattered about the diamond well after the 7:54 p.m. last strike
call.
Nor did it mean much to the proud parents lining up to take their pictures.
What was meaningful, however, were the strides the team made along
the way throughout the summer months, and head coach Ed Dubben
(speaking for both third-base coach Roger Herringshaw and first-base
coach “extraordinaire” Hank Sheldon as well) was offered the chance to
say such.
“The team started the season very raw and unsure of themselves. They
made a lot of mental mistakes. But they learned as they went and
started showing some pride in the way they played, and I couldn’t be
prouder. They’ll take a few more steps and be ready for varsity.”
Game notes: On a lighter note, CV-S batters one, two and three all
finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate, while Adams led the way with a
3-for-3 performance. Scott Sheldon (the No. 1 hitter) had a single, a
double and an RBI; Spencer Staley (the No. 2 batter) had two singles
and two RBIs; and No. 3 hitter Nate Herringshaw had two RBI singles.
Adams had three singles and one RBI, and actually reached base in all
four of his at-bats with a seventh-inning walk.
Sherb. 0 2 3 1 0 4 0 — 10 11 3
CV-S 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 — 6 11 4
Caleb Brown and Buddenhagen; David Adams, Adam Halay (3) and Nate
Herringshaw. W - Brown, L - Adams. 2B - Mike Doscher (Sherburne); Scott
Sheldon (Cherry Valley-Springfield). Records: Sherburne 9-2; Cherry Valley-Springfield 8-3
Game time - 2:12
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